Hispanic groups renew push for FCC pick as President Biden renominates Gigi Sohn

A coalition of Hispanic groups is renewing calls for President Joe Biden to “name a person of Latino descent” to the Federal Communications Commission. The campaign comes as the White House forges ahead with the long-stalled nomination of Gigi Sohn. The groups lamented that the FCC has lacked a Latino commissioner for over two decades and said appointing one would make it “more likely” the agency would “champion equitable language access” and push for more inclusive internet access policies. “Put simply, a Latino FCC Commissioner would help ensure that Latinos can fully participate in and contribute to America’s future,” wrote the groups, which included Esperanza United, Leonas, the National Hispanic Media Coalition and the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC). The letter doesn’t mention Sohn by name, but the missive arrives as her proponents are rallying to get her nomination over the finish line after being stuck in the Senate for over a year. Amy Hinojosa, CEO of MANA and one of the signatories on the letter, said some Hispanic advocacy groups feel their concerns have not been “heard” by the White House and plan to urge Biden to pull Sohn.